Originally posted by: Mik3y
a computer requires memory present to operate or process. i think you need the memory present for it to work properly.
^ what he said

If you need to pick up some RAM that's guaranteed compatible, try Crucial.com's memory configurator and pick your specific board. Their memory is consistently good quality and if you picked it using their configurator, it's guaranteed to work (although for PC3200 it is a good idea to manually set your motherboard's BIOS for a memory voltage of at least 2.6 volts, based on what I've seen).
Also make sure your power supply is a high-quality one, that really stacks the odds in your favor versus cheap-but-flashy ones or true generic ones. Fortron, PC Power & Cooling, Antec and Enermax are some PSU brands that people get good results with. Hope that helps, and check the bottom link in my signature for more stuff that might be helpful to know

The Resources page has some security stuff to know about and links to free antivirus and firewall software. I'm about to do a slight revision of that page, so check again in a little while if you're on right now.